Professor Urgunge Onon – MIASU Co-Founder

The MIASU is very sad to announce the death of its co-founder, Professor Urgunge Onon, who passed away peacefully in December 2015. The author of many books and articles on Mongolia, including a well known translation of the Secret History of the Mongols, Professor Onon was also the documenter of the way of life and shamanism of his own people, the Daur Mongols. Professor Onon was an ardent upholder of Mongolian culture. He gave enormously generously of his time and resources to initiate the MIASU in Cambridge together with Caroline Humphrey in 1986. His vision, which we have tried our best to continue, was to found a vibrant institution that would be ongoing in time: ‘Do not forgot the next generations,’ he used to say. We aim to honour his memory at an event later this year.

Professor Onon is pictured below at the Unit’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2006.